Christopher Nolan is back. Two years after the Oscar-winning success of Oppenheimer, the filmmaker has turned to one of the oldest stories ever told, bringing Homer’s The Odyssey to the big screen with an ensemble that includes Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, and more.
The epic follows Odysseus (Damon), the king of Ithaca, on his arduous journey home after the Trojan War, where gods, monsters, and impossible trials stand between him and his family. Back in Ithaca, his wife, Penelope (Hathaway), and son, Telemachus (Holland), struggle to protect their kingdom as they await his return.
Nolan has described the adaptation as one of the most ambitious undertakings of his career. In a GQ interview, he explained that revisiting Homer’s poem required a new approach for modern audiences. “What I realized is, Oh, okay, to make a screenplay for this, it’s all about setting those things up, being true to those because the payoffs are incredible. But it’s now my responsibility to, within the form of the structure of the poem, try and set these things in motion so that the audience, an audience who’s not as familiar with the poem and the mythology of the poem as Homer’s audience, would be ready for these things. And that cracked it open for me.”
The production itself was just as ambitious. Filmed across six countries over 91 days, The Odyssey became the first feature shot entirely on 70mm IMAX film. Speaking to GQ, Damon said, “Every single location on this movie would’ve been the hardest location on any other movie I’ve ever done. And they just went back-to-back.”
The women of The Odyssey also reflected on Nolan’s vision in their ELLE Summer 2026 cover stories. Hathaway, who reunites with the director for a third time, said, “We think about Penelope as a model of patience. But I was interested in the raw edge of her. I was interested in the fury, the emotion, and the passion that she would have had to ride for him for those 20 years.”
Zendaya, who plays the goddess Athena, said her character felt like a natural fit. “In many ways, it feels very fitting that that would be the pairing for me,” she told ELLE.
Meanwhile, Theron, who portrays the sea nymph Calypso, said she appreciated the opportunity to reinvent a familiar mythological figure. “I was given a chance to do something that I haven’t had a ton of opportunity to do, because she’s a little bit of everything. That’s what’s so beautiful about her.”
How can I watch The Odyssey?
The movie is playing in theaters as of July 17, and is available in multiple premium formats, according to Universal Pictures:
- IMAX 70mm: The premium presentation of the film. The Odyssey was shot entirely with IMAX film cameras, and this format offers the largest image and Nolan’s intended viewing experience.
- IMAX: A large-screen presentation featuring expanded aspect ratios and enhanced picture and sound.
- 70mm: A large-format film presentation that delivers better image clarity and vibrant analog color.
- 35mm: A classic film presentation for those who want the traditional moviegoing experience.
- Dolby Cinema (Dolby Vision): Features laser projection, high contrast, enhanced color, and immersive audio.
- Premium Large Format (PLF): Available at select theaters with oversized screens, laser projection, and upgraded sound systems.
When will The Odyssey be available to stream?
Universal Pictures has not announced a streaming release date for The Odyssey. In the meantime, you’ll definitely want to see the epic on the big screen.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.elle.com ’
